Thus far we have discovered two wonderful blessings which flow from Jesus shed blood…
- We are freed and Redeemed
- We are forgiven through His shed Blood
In today’s post we will consider a third blessing, that of having peace with God. Let us consider Colossians 1:19-21.
(Colossians 1:19-21) For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled.
In the this passage we discover 4 necessary phrases to our understanding the peace we gain through Jesus shed blood:
- “having made peace”
- “through the blood of His cross”
- “you,… were… enemies in your minds”
- “yet now He has reconciled you”.
THE KIND OF PEACE NEEDED
It is imperative for the follower of Christ not only to grasp the meaning of this peace, but also to live rejoicing in it. The phrase “made peace” means to bind together in a treaty like agreement. This indicates the peace Jesus made, through the shedding of His blood, brought together two warring factions: God and men created in His image.
Most will agree with the biblical truth that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are in need of forgiveness, but all men being born at war with God? To many this may seem an overstatement, although biblically it is not. In an effort to gain a fuller understanding of this, let us first consider God’s view of men born into sin.
(Psalm 14:1-3) The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, no not one.
(Isaiah 53:6) We all like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 64:6)But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (used menstrual rags is the Hebrews idea); we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on the name of the LORD.
We could read passage after passage that reveals man is not a big fan of the way God see’s things. Whether we want to admit it or not, our unrighteous choices reveal a depth of animosity for God. Let us remember that His commandments are not burdensome, but men, apart from Christ behave as if they are.
In light of this reality let us consider how this cycles through the mind of religiously inclined men…
“I have not done all that bad”
“I am not hurting no one”
“God is ok with me, I believe”.
These three phrases are admittedly a broad brush stroke, but indicative of those who raise their own standard of righteousness in light of God’s standard, which is Himself (Romans 3:23); more specifically Jesus Christ the our righteousness and the Judge of the quick and the dead. Being that God himself is the standard and it is impossible for sin sick humanity to reach His glory, He chose grace through faith in Jesus righteousness and shed blood, to mitigate the gap. Praise God! But let us understand that our inherent default of choosing our own way, is to be a war with God
Colossians reiterates the serious need for peace, through Christ’s shed blood in verse 21 where it declares “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your minds”. Clearly we are enemies, yet the word “reconcile” reveals the depth of our enemy hostility, for it means to change from enemy to friend. Further still the word “enemies”, in (vs. 21) reveals the degree to which we choose reject and be alienated from God, for the root of the word enemy, is the word enmity.
In biblical understanding enmity, means a person’s disposition is opposite the love of God. God’s love to humanity is the Greek word agape, and is understood as God giving grace and blessing freely to men, who justly deserve wrath, rather than grace. He loves men, who by birth are His enemies, and blesses man without considering whether man will love Him back.
His agape is displayed in loving His enemies as seen in Jesus “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Romans 5:8-10 sums it up God’s love wonderfully.
(Romans 5:8-10) But god demonstrates His love toward us, in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more the, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath though Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled , we shall be saved by His life.
Now our enmity or enemy status against God is opposite of this wonderful love, meaning we are selfish by nature and therefore ignore God and His ways, if it impinges on our self-will. This is the nature of indwelling sin. To choose self over love is opposite of God, and therefore to be at war with Him. Aren’t you glad Christ’s made a way for redemption, forgiveness and for our war to be over with God, through His blood? Make no mistake His shed blood making peace with God for us, is as legal and binding as any peace treaty.
WAR REPARATIONS MUST BE PAID TO KEEP PEACE
In most peace treaties, one party who is unable to continue must capitulate through surrender. After WWII the Nazi Germans surrendered unconditionally, which meant they had to do what was required by the Allied nations. Part of the conditions of the peace were reparations, or payments to the countries and people’s illegally devastated, in Germany’s attempt to take over the world.
Perhaps the reparations on the German people, in their own nation were the most costly and effective. The allies knew the German populace did not have the ability to pay monetarily for their indifference to the suffering of the holocaust and its victims. Therefore, the allied forces scheduled required days for the populations that surrounded the death camps to come for a visit. Pictures reveal a smiling Germany on the way in to the camps, as they too were tired of Hitler and perpetual war. Pictures also reveal a sickened, saddened, retching and besides themselves population on the way out. Their reparations were to see the horrors and atrocities of thousands of dead skeletal bodies, tortured, gassed and mutilated, as they ignored the agenda of the death camps.
We who are born into sin and enemies of God, also have war reparations that must be paid, which we are unable to pay. Understanding reparations as chastisement, an unpleasant pain to be remembered (that we would no longer offend), Let us see Jesus shed blood is our war reparation. This is as remarkable as it is heartbreaking, when considering the cost to Jesus (Isaiah 53:5) “the chastisement of our peace was upon Him”.
For God, simply paying the sin debt and the penalty due (Jesus death) was not enough to restore us, reparation in the same currency (blood) needed to be made. This was for the purpose of our being transformed, or healed… “The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His wounds, we have been healed”. Our reparation were paid by Jesus being scourged by the Romans before He was crucified. Isaiah 50:5-6, declares Jesus did this willing. He took the chastisement we deserved.
“by his wounds we are healed”
The word “wounds” is more accurately translated in KJV Bible as “stripes”. The word “stripes” in the Hebrew language is a unique singular plural kind of word. Here is the definition in view of Christ sufferings: Jesus the Christ received so many singular stripes and lashes, that His body became one STRIPE. Consider these reparations were He paid for you and I, by 9 leather straps with lead balls and bone sewn in, for the purpose of bruise and opening those bruises, as the pull the flesh was pulled apart. With each lash, a canyon of reparation was opened in Jesus body—where almost instantly blood for cleansing flowed. With this cleansing flow healing for your spirit (now alive to relationship with Abba), soul (you are a new creation, with a new heart of righteousness) and body (to reverse the curse of sin in your physical man), were made available to you and I by faith.
Oh the Blood of Jesus, Oh the Blood of Jesus… Rejoice forever and receive all the blessing His blood made possible to you… Peace with God… Healing of your entire person… and Power to live righteously in Him.
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